


Telling Secrets

by sparkinside (boomersoonerash)



Series: The Crow and The Butterfly [5]
Category: Hanson (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Anthem Era, Brother/Sister Incest, Cliffhangers, F/M, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Incest, Incest, New York City, Revelations, Secrets, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 19:11:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8459632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/sparkinside
Summary: Avery finally finds out a truth she should have known awhile ago.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [In the Dark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5943691) by [themayqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/themayqueen/pseuds/themayqueen). 



> Basically I suck at summaries and titles lol.

Avery looked over at Colby curiously after she had laid her six month old son Sammy down for his nap, in the nursery of the new apartment that they were living in, in New York.

It was one they had gotten last week and one she would have never been able to afford on her own, not with the checks she got at the bookstore where she was working right now. Though Colby had claimed that it was something she had wanted to do for Avery out of the goodness of her heart because Avery was her friend and Avery and Sammy deserved their own place.

They deserved a place that was theirs so they could be a family and not have Colby there twenty-four seven and sometimes Colby's boyfriend Tobias too.

But Avery doubted that story, especially when Colby had offered to help with half the rent. It wasn't that Colby was stingy or a bad friend. She was far from it in fact because what other friend would agree to let their pregnant friend who had randomly showed up on their doorstep, just move in with them?

What other friend also wouldn't judge when said pregnant friend confessed all of her sordid details of a five month long love affair with their own brother. An affair that had been intense and one that had created a baby out of it.

But regardless of all that, the helping to pay half of rent was just something she didn't see Colby doing even if Colby had been left money by her parents after their deaths.

"Are you going to really tell me how you got this apartment and who is paying on it?" Avery asked with a raised eyebrow. "I know you claim it's you but something just feels off about that story Colbs."

Colby looked back at Avery as she heaved a sigh, "Ave would I lie to you?" she asked as she tried to give Avery her best convincing face but Avery could read the shadows of confusion in her facial features. Like she was trying to ask herself the same question and when people asked themselves that it usually meant they were lying.

Avery should know because she had done the same when she had asked her parents to come to New York a month after Sammy's birth and she had finally told them she had been pregnant and she had made up some lie about it being a random boy she had met in Oklahoma City before moving off to New York.

She had told her current boyfriend Remi that lie too and she felt guilty but she knew he nor her parents would like the truth. That the father of her son was her own brother. A brother who she loved, even if Natalie had told her that Zac didn't love her. That he only felt that way for her.

It was something Avery believed especially because if it had been true, Zac would have done more to make her stay besides getting all pouty or trying to call her the first few days she had came to New York and then just stopping.

"I think you're lying right now, so yeah," Avery answered with a nod of her head, being honest. "You're lying about this apartment and I'd like to know who really got it. I mean if my parents are..."

"It wasn't your parents," Colby blurted out interrupting Avery. "It was Zac. He got this apartment for you and for Sammy and he's the one who is going to be paying half the rent."

Avery visibly and physically paused at Colby's words.

"Zac?" she finally asked her voice coming out soft and small and a part of her felt like she had taken a punch to the gut or something. 

Colby only nodded her head, a sheepish look appearing on her face, "You really are so blind Avery," she sighed and she didn't sound upset, just like she was annoyed with a good friend. "That man loves you so much and he loves Sammy too."

"He doesn't even know Sammy is his," Avery said her voice finally returning to normal. "Only knows about him because our parents told him about Sammy a few months ago after they found out I had a child and went back to Tulsa to tell everyone else. He's never even met Sammy nor has met you so none of this make sense on why you say it's Zac or how you even know how much he supposedly loves me and a child he's never met."

Colby laughed at that as she shook her head, "I can't keep doing this," she spoke and her words confused Avery slightly. "I can't keep lying to you for him and I can't be in the middle of this anymore," she said before standing from the couch as she began to pace like she did when she was nervous. "Zac's known about your entire pregnancy Ave," she finally said as she kept pacing. "He showed up at the apartment a month after you were there and I let it slip. After that he stayed in New York for months..you're entire pregnancy he was there. I'd meet him every Friday at a coffee shop and update him on things and I gave him ultrasound pictures of Sammy."

Taking in Colby's confession Avery just stayed silent, mainly because she wasn't sure how to respond or what to say.

"He was there when you gave birth and you were in a coma. Stayed at the hospital a lot and you should have seen him when he held Sammy. He was so in love with him and it was always clear to me he loved you. He hated leaving you and Sammy but he left the day you woke up. He's why I talked you into giving Samuel the middle name of Walker. He wanted his son to have a part of his name," Colby shrugged as she finally stopped pacing and turned to look at Avery. "Just like he showed up last week after I got off work and told me how he got this place for you and Sammy and he wanted me to lie and say it came from me. But he did it partly for the same reasons as me. He said you and Sammy deserved this place, his son needed his own room instead of being in a two bedroom apartment and sharing your room with you or sleeping in a playpen in mine when you had Remi over, and god you should have heard how ecstatic he sounded when he talked about all the things you could do to Sammy's room and how you could decorate it and how he could have more room for his stuff and to play. He's in love with you and he loves his son and I'm tired of pretending to you that he doesn't know because you need to know that he does so you can figure something out."

Still staying silent Avery let herself digest everything that Colby had told her. The whole confession about Zac and how he had done all that and secretly been there during her pregnancy and it was enough that it shook Avery in ways.

"He really knew?" she asked softly surprised she could find her voice now.

Colby nodded as she gave a sheepish smile, "He really knew," she confirmed as she walked to where Avery was. "And you really need to talk to him. He deserves to see his baby who he already loves and I swear that man is so in love with you even if he shouldn't be."

Chewing on her lip hard Avery had to look away from Colby. She wasn't sure she believed that Zac loved her even after knowing all this but she wasn't sure she could deny the fact that he obviously loved his son.

"I'll call him tonight," Avery finally spoke as she gave Colby a tiny smile even if she was a bit upset and hurt that Colby had kept such huge secrets from her. Though she also kind of understood why Colby had done that. Understood her reasoning behind things.

Avery probably would have done the same as well if she had been in Colby's shoes.

"You better Avery Laurel," Colby laughed as she pulled Avery into a hug.

It was a hug Avery hadn't known she needed or wanted but in the end she was thankful for it. Thankful for having Colby holding her as she felt like everything was falling apart.

She also really hoped she could find the nerve to contact Zac because right now she was scared shitless to even try. Not exactly sure what she'd say if she did.

Not sure if he was even still in New York or if he was if and how they'd meet in person. Everything was so damn complicated and a part of Avery wanted to blame Natalie for the things she had said and making her run off. Making her believe that Zac had never truly loved her.

But in the end Avery knew she too was to blame. She had kept the pregnancy hidden from Zac or well she thought she had and even now six months after giving birth Zac hadn't seen his son except for at the hospital when she had been in a coma.

A fact she kind of felt shitty for because she did know that Zac loved children. Always had tried to be the best father to his kids with Kate.

Was already doing stuff for Sammy who he had only seen once and Avery had been selfish and she knew that. She knew it and she was afraid of what that fact would do once she did contact Zac.

Afraid that no matter how nice he was being that he'd resent her and they'd end up arguing and hating each other.


End file.
